It is known that substrates, including woven and nonwoven fabrics made from natural or synthetic fibers may be treated with a solution containing organopolysiloxanes to impart hydrophobic properties thereto. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,154,714 to Hockemeyer et al. discloses coating cellulosic substrates with a composition containing a diorganopolysiloxane having terminal SiC-bonded vinyl groups, an organopolysiloxane containing at least 3 Si-bonded hydrogen atoms per molecule, a catalyst which promotes the addition of Si-bonded hydrogen to vinyl groups, and an organic solvent. In contrast to the coatings described in the above patent, the coated substrates of this invention are highly waterproofed, extremely hydrophobic, and highly resistant to abrasion. Moreover, all of these properties are preserved, even when the coated substrates are cleaned with water or with an organic solvent.
Therefore, it is an object of this invention to provide a process for coating substrates. Another object of this invention is to provide a process for preparing waterproofed substrates. Still another object of this invention is to provide a process for coating substrates to enhance their resistance to abrasion. A further object of this invention is to provide a process for treating substrates with a solution to impart hydrophobic properties to the treated substrates. A still further object of this invention is to provide a process for coating a substrate with a composition containing an organopolysiloxane which is capable of being crosslinked to form a coating thereon.